Let us return to Mother Alacoque in her peregrinations.
The foster sister, who was not living there, ran as soon as she could to the house where the red had taken her, and there she did indeed find her, but… with the conflict that the caretaker was threatening and the neighbours were complaining about the nuns there; for two sisters had been there for days… there was no other recourse than to seek new shelters; and the poor Mother, so delicate at sixty-three years of age, despite all the exhausting emotions of that day and the fatigue of climbing to a third floor, had to go back down the stairs to walk to Bailén Street, where she was very well received by some charitable acquaintances of the community.
In this house, except for a few alarms, she lived relatively calmly, and immediately began to arrange the means for her daughters to travel to Italy.
For this reason, courageous as she was, she wanted to go out one day at dusk with the Sister Provisor, to exchange impressions with her dear Deposed, Sister Emmanuel Chauveau, who was not far away, escorting them on this journey one of the good souls who were interested in facilitating the journey to Italy.
They were there for a long time and, when they left, alone and this time, when passing by the house where the assistant sister was, they thought of going upstairs to update her on everything. But at the moment of passing through the door and heading to the stairs, they noticed that they were acquaintances and that they were being spied on… they went up to the floor very distressed and did nothing more than knock, say who they were and both of them went back down so as not to compromise.
Indeed, some men were already there who arrested them, taking them into the porter’s room and stopping all who came in and out.
One of them, who spoke French very well and who, according to his words, cared as much about killing a man as a woman, interrogated them and wanted to take them to a committee, annoying them greatly. At last he let them go, saying that they were in no danger and offering to accompany them, which they refused to do, replying that if they were in no danger they could go alone.
Once again Jesus had saved them, this encounter being one of those that made the provisional sister suffer the most, because, if they were arrested or shot, no one would have known what had become of them.
Not many days passed peacefully… on August 19, around five in the afternoon, a tall communist with an appearance that, just looking at him, made them frightened, appeared before them. Confronting the Mother he asked her if she was the Superior of the Salesas. “I have been,” she replied. It has not been, but it is, replied the red one; I know it very true. “Well, yes, I am,” the Mother then said with integrity.
This is where the man began with orders to take her to the cemetery to be shot, because she was very bad, and a thousand other insults. The Mother later said that she had been left as if stunned, that this incident had hardly made any impression on her; and so when she told him that she would take her, she replied very calmly: “As you wish.”
The communist asked a few more questions and returned with the matter of taking her… The owner of the house began crying to tell her how good she was, and the caretaker sister, in the height of pain, knelt at her feet begging her for what she loved most. , to leave the Mother alone, that in exchange they would give her how much they had. Seeing so much pain, she seemed to be moved… The caretaker went in search of the money… he searched her rooms to make sure if there was more and, when she couldn’t find anything, he said: but will you be left with nothing? And leaving them part of what they had given him, so that they could eat for a few days, he left, all moved, giving his hand to the Mother.
It was no longer possible to stay there… Persecuted to death and her refuge discovered again, she urgently needed to find a safer place. That night they went to ask for hospitality from Mr. and Mrs. N., who received her with open arms, Doña María very happy to have the Mother, even for one night, in their house, and her husband and children showing themselves to be very good to her and her partner. As the Mother Superior of the Monastery of Manresa was in a very serious condition, they told the service that they were some ladies who had come to watch over her, leaving the poor Mother, already almost dying, so happy with her visit that she did not stop thanking God for This gift he gave her, because he greatly appreciated Mother Muntadas.
She did not undress that night and when the next morning came, she went with her faithful helper to a boarding house on Paseo de Gracia; and the next day to her sister Montserrat’s house, who, having been seriously threatened with a search, had not let her go with her before, finally enjoying a few days of peace, together with this much-loved sister.
In order not to compromise her or put her in new dangers, her refuge was hidden from all the sisters, except three or four, and only the supervisor and the nurse, who were the ones who ran everything, went to see her to receive her orders and activate the march to Italy, in which the action of Providence shone in a wonderful way.
What happened regarding the signing of the collective ticket was truly providential, since on the same day, it was signed by the Red Committee, the Generalitat, the Civil Government and the Consulate.
It was nine o’clock at night when, beside herself with emotion and gratitude, the Sister Provisioner went to tell the Mother, who said to her: “My sister, I have been praying all day, asking Our Lord that we could all march together.” Something that, apparently, the Consulate had objections to.
Previously, when the same sister had asked her how she should address her passports, she had answered without hesitation : “Religious of the Visitation of Saint Mary. French Order.” She sent a message to all the sisters on the eve of embarkation that they should not utter the word “Saleses” under any circumstances , which, as we shall see, saved them from being detained.
Since at first it was so difficult to obtain a collective passport, and on the other hand the Mother saw herself so persecuted, it was thought of making her go alone with the nursing sister, but impediments always arose, of which she seemed very happy, because it cost her much to separate from the community, even for a short time.
She was also offered several times that some sisters should stay to watch over the convent and its interests, but she firmly opposed this, always replying: “If I leave, I want to take all my daughters with me.”
Finally, on the eve of boarding, while the provisional sister was visiting the various groups of sisters, to give them the last instructions, the reds went to search the people in the house where she was staying, taking all the money and supplies. jewelry belonging to the lady, who was threatened with death; and, having all entered the room of the supervisor, they did not see the passports or the money that she had left on the dresser… If they had seen them, the march would have been completely frustrated.
It was September 10 and, at 8 in the morning, all the sisters of the community were already on the esplanade in front of the Maritime Station, surrounding their dear Mother, who was smiling sweetly at them. How gladly they would have hugged her! But, that wasn’t for demonstrations of affection or anything that would attract attention. The spectacle that was offered there was truly impressive. Among a continuous movement of reds, who looked like demons escaped from hell, hundreds and hundreds of people who were waiting for them to enter the Station. The Communities formed groups, without a miserable side or support to sit on. In view of this, several sisters formed a kind of seat with the suitcases and packages, so that the Mother and other elderly and delicate sisters could rest a little. They remained like that until ten o’clock when they entered the Station, and there the pressure increased… More than nine hundred nuns were gathered there, exposed to all kinds of mockery, insults and threats, while they were called in alphabetical order. The Salesas were one of the last on the list, and they could hardly find a corner of the bench where they could sit the Mother and two octogenarians, taking turns. The rest all stood like sardines, until half past six in the afternoon, when it was their turn to go to Customs for the searches.
Those were hours of true agony and very dangerous, because the reds were furious seeing so many nuns; and they didn’t want to let them go; Their protests and uproar reached such an extreme that the Consul of Italy and the Captain of the ship had to take action on the matter, finally obtaining a strict order from the Generalitat for everyone to leave; Then the reds shouted: “Well, let them march, but they will go into the water!”
In the midst of that infernal hubbub, the Mother remained so calm and peaceful that she inspired unlimited confidence in all her daughters just by looking at her. After a very long wait, several sisters heard one of the reds, apparently the leader of that band of outlaws, who, addressing the one who had the lists in his hand, said: “If the Salesians are on the list, do not call them, because we will arrest them and not let them go.” But then, after more than two hours of anxious waiting, they suddenly heard a voice saying: “The Visitation of Saint Mary, French Order,” adding mockingly, “from Barceloneta…” With this, the reds who were trying to prevent the Salesians from boarding were completely thrown off balance , and they boarded the ship calmly, with the Mother mixed in with them…
At nine o’clock the anchors were raised, and the ship was soon out at sea. “How we breathed then,” says one sister, “despite the sadness we felt at leaving our beloved Barcelona enveloped in so many horrors!… Like a ray of hope, the golden image of the Virgin of Mercy appeared in the distance, and placing all our trust in Her, we entrusted to Her the loved ones who remained there, not knowing whether we would see them again…”
They were not able to return until the end of the civil war. Years later she would die in the odour of sanctity.
Source:https://www.religionenlibertad.com/blog/665142501/Una-visitandina-ejemplar-3.html